DECEMBER 24
Eve of the Nativity of Christ/Nun Martyr Eugenia of Rome
(Vespers, celebrated on the evening of the 23rd – Wednesday evening)
“Lord I Call...” Tone 5
Lord, I call upon Thee, hear me!
Hearme, O Lord!
Lord, I call upon Thee, hear me!
Receive the voice of my prayer,
when I call upon Thee!//
Hearme, O Lord!
Let my prayer arise
in Thy sight as incense,
and let the lifting up of my hands
be an evening sacrifice!//
Hearme, O Lord!
v. (6) If Thou, O Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee.
Tone 5(for the Forefeast)(Rejoice)
“Thou, my Son, art the all-perfect God,
yet Thou acceptest the form of Adam.
In my hands I hold Thee, yet Thou holdest all creation!
How shall I wrapThee in swaddling clothes?
How shall I nourish Thee, O Food of life?
How shall I wonder at Thine ineffable poverty?
How shall I nameThee, since I am Thyservant?”
Thy Mother cried: “I can only bless and praiseThee in song,//
for Thou grantest the world great mercy.”
v. (5) For Thy name’s sake have I waited for Thee, O Lord, my soul has waited for Thy word; my soul has hoped on the Lord.
The Virgin Mother beheld the pre-eternal God,
the Infant who was born of her flesh.
She held Him tenderly, overfilled with joy.
She cried: “How can I see Thee, yet not understand the mystery?
Though the cave is small and lowly,
it is able to find room for Thee, O my God.
Born of me, yet preserving my virginity,//
Thou grantest the world great mercy.”
v. (4) From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope on the Lord!
The pure Handmaid became afraid
when she saw the Wise Men come.
She asked them: “Whom are youseeking?
I see that you havecome from afar.
You resemble Persians in wisdom and appearance.
You havemade a strange and wonderful journey.
Now come and worship God, Who journeyed from on high
to come and take His abode in me,//
and Who grants the world great mercy!”
v. (3) For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.
*Tone 2(for the nun-martyr Eugenia)(When from the tree)
When, with godlike foresight, thou wentest outside the city,
thoudidst clearly abandon the delights of the world.
Hearing the sweet singing of the psalms,
thou wast illumined with the fullness of divine knowledge.
And having conceived fear in the womb,[1]//
thou broughtest forth the divine and saving Spirit to those
who journeyedwith thee.
v. (2) Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him, all peoples!
When thou wast betrothed to Christ, O Eugenia,
Thou didst eagerly lead thyservants to Him,
bringing them as a living dowry.
And they emulated thine own courage,
shining in faith and in grace, and practicing every virtue;//
they were martyrs, truly godly in mind, proclaiming faith to all.
v. (1) For His mercy is abundant towards us; and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Shining with the radiance of the Spirit,
thou leddest a chorus of virgins to Christ.
Restoring them to life with the discourse of thywisdom,
Thou didst point out the path of the journey on high,
persuading them to be brightly adorned with the blood of martyrdom.
Dancing in chorus with them now, O Martyr worthy of all praise,//
thou hast truly found joy as thouthyself hast desired.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 2(for the Forefeast, by Cyprian)
The time of our salvation draws near.
Prepare, O cave!
The Virgin draws near to bear the Christ.
Be glad, and rejoice, O Bethlehem, land of Judah,
for our Lord has come from thee!
Hearken, O mountains and hills, and lands around Judea,//
for Christ, the Lover of man, is coming to save those
whom He created!
* The stichera to the nun-martyr Eugenia are taken from the Greek Menaion.
Eve of the Nativity of Christ/Nun Martyr Eugenia of Rome
Aposticha
Tone 1(for the Forefeast)(O all-praised martyrs)
The Kings of the East have come
to see Thee, the King, being born.
They have broughtTheegifts from afar
and are standing outside the doors bearing frankincense, gold, and myrrh.
“Command them to enter and see
the Infant Whom I hold in my arms,//
Who is older than Adam!”
v. God shall come from Teman, and the Holy One from the mountain overshadowed by the forest.
The Virgin said to the Wise Men:
“Come and enter with haste!
Behold the invisible God, visible now as a man!”
They entered with zeal and worshipped Him,//
thus fulfilling the divine prophecy.
v.Lord, I have heard the report of Thee, and Thy work, Lord, do I fear.
“I supportThee in my arms as a babe;
yet Thou supportest all creation.
How can I provide for Thee,
for Thou providest for the whole world?
I glorify Thy bondless condescension//
by which Thou art saving the perishing world.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tone 6
Triumph, O Zion!
Rejoice, O Jerusalem, city of Christ our God!
Receive the Creator contained within a cave and a manger!
Open the gates to me;
I will enter to see a child wrapped in swaddling clothes,
Who upholds the creation in the palm of His hand,
Whose praises the Angels sing with unceasing voice://
the Lord and Giver of life Who saves the human race.
Tone 4Troparion of the Forefeast
Mary was of David’s seed,
so she went with Joseph to register in Bethlehem.
She bore in her womb the Fruit not sown by man.
The time for the birth was at hand.
Since there was no room at the inn,
the cave became a beautiful palace for the Queen.//
Christ is born, raising up the image that fell of old.
Liturgical texts for this service represent modified versions of translations provided by Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery, Otego, New York and St. Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, Pa. The Department of Liturgical Music and Translations of the Orthodox Church in America expresses its gratitude to Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery and St. Tikhon’s Monastery and to those translators whose work has been consulted at times in the course of reviewing and modifying these texts to their present form:Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), Archimandrite Ephrem (Lash), Archimandrite Juvenaly, Elizabeth Theokritoff, Father Benedict Churchill, Isaac Lambertson, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and Holy Transfiguration Monastery, among others.
1
[1] Cf. Isaiah 26:18 LXX “Because of the fear of Thee, O Lord, we have conceived in the womb … and have given birth to the spirit of Thy salvation.”